Interview With Tokyo Photographer Monika Mogi

Monika Mogi has been working as a photographer for American Apparel since she was 18. On a visit to LA she was scouted by the Creative Director to model for the company, and ended up on the other side of the camera after showing her the shoot she did for VICE in 2011. Now she has a full time job with American Apparel in Toyko as one of their main photographers while also shooting for major brands and magazines like Nylon Japan, ViVi, X-Girl and Shel’tter. Oh, and she’s only 23. Her personal work has been featured in Editorial Mag, Frieze, and Petra Collin’s online gallery The Ardorous.

I recently moved to Tokyo and met up with Monika where we were able to bond over mutual friends around the world, feeling like a “gaijin” (the Japanese word for “foreigner”)in Tokyo and earthquakes. After chatting for a while we got down to some serious questions.

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Interview with Monika Mogi by Michele Ayoub

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Monika:So, do you like it here?

Michele: I really like it. But I don’t know if it’s because I’m still in a honeymoon stage and open to everything.
Do YOU like it here?Monika:Yeah, it’s my hometown really. I’ve been living here since I was 12. My hometown is an hour and half away from Tokyo, towards Yokohama. I think I’m just so used to it here. When I went to New York recently I felt like it was so different. The train system here, everything here, you don’t have to worry. Growing up here, being a teenager here though was crazy.

Michele: Can you tell me more about that?Monika: I think I was really bad as a teenager. I was arrested for shoplifting. I went to a military school.

Michele: Wow. Why?Monika:Because my mom’s hometown is outside of a military base. My father is in the military but my parents divorced when I was 11 or 12 so I moved to Japan with my mom. But she’s originally from Zama which is in Kanagawa but I only spoke English because I grew up in California and Hawaii too.

Michele: Wow. So when did you start getting into photography? You started making zines when you were 15, that’s really impressive.Monika: Is it?

Michele: Yeah!Monika:These zines are not like cool zines. They’re actually really lame. I probably wouldn’t post them anywhere now. I met Petra Collins through Blogspot at 16 when she had a photo blog and I had my little zine thing. That’s what I was doing. I was making zines, interviewing artists and posting it on this blog.

Michele: When you were 15.Monika:It was really cheesy. Me and my friends got really into lomography. I think my friend had one and we
started taking film photos and we were like, “Wow, film is cool!” and then you know, maybe I used my mom’s camera
and kept going.

Michele:What pushed you to start publishing? Why put it out there?Monika: I don’t know. It’s so weird. I feel like it’s because I had so much time on my hands. I lived with a single mom who was at work every day until really late so I would always just come home and I was on the computer. I think that’s from being in Japan in this weird suburb of Yokohama just looking at the Internet, it was really crazy. And then I saw Petra Collins. I mean, she was just starting to take photos then too so I feel like I saw her first ever photos. I think I just wanted to rebel against my high school and be the kid that hangs out with older kids, because I was dating an older guy who had this apartment in Tokyo. And going to shows.

Michele:That’s so cool that you guys were already sharing your work at 15.Monika: I don’t even think it’s called work. I don’t even know what it’s called. It’s like playing. Even now I kind of see it like that. I mean, it does feel like that. I just feel so lucky because it’s nice that I can just focus on taking photos and it’s really fun.

Michele: It seems you have a lot of international connections too?Monika:I do a lot of work here though. I don’t really do any work overseas. Because I feel like overseas, in America, I think more people know my personal work or photos I showed with The Ardorous. But in Japan I shoot a lot of commercial stuff. I’ve never done a shoot in America besides American Apparel.

Michele:What’s it like working in Tokyo?Monika:In Japan it’s crazy because there’s like 20 people working behind you on set and a client says, “we still want your flavour,” but there are so many rules. One time I shot this thing for ViVi, it’s a teenage magazine, I think it’s the biggest selling one here. But it’s very pop, very… You just have to see it. It’s weird because I feel like my photos don’t really fit with those magazines either. They kind of stand out in a way because all the other photos are digital and glossy looking. And then most of it is shot by men. Even female photographers here that work in the fashion industry I’ve never seen any variety. It’s all the same. I don’t like working with these kinds of magazines so much because they take my photos and they put it in a weird layout. Especially in Japan, it’s like “kawaii”, you know they’ll ruin it. They murder it. But I also like doing it because I get random messages from young girls who saw ViVi and they’re like, “Oh, I noticed you’re a photographer” and I feel like they’ve never seen any young girl photographers in that magazine before.

Michele:It’s probably really inspiring.Monika: That’s why I like doing those bigger magazines. Because you’re communicating to a wider range. People who read ViVi are just normal high–school girls that aren’t even aware of art. It’s like Seventeen magazine if you compare it. But I’m kind of trying to change it in a way.

Michele: I noticed your personal work is reminiscent of 60s Japanese photography but I feel like all the young photographers I’m meeting in Japan seem to be moving away from that and channeling more contemporary western influences. So it’s interesting to see you doing the opposite.Monika:I do notice that too. I think a lot of Japanese photographers don’t really embrace the Japanese culture that much. Especially inspired by older generations. I actually really like recreating. I really like Showa Japan. (The era between 1926-1989 when Japan was very economically wealthy and architecture and design were heavily influenced by pop art.) That’s my most favourite Japan. I think I’m a gaijin in a way like that. It’s weird for me in Japan because I’m not necessarily seen as a Japanese person here. My Japanese isn’t that perfect. I can talk and have a meeting. As hard as I try though I’m never going to be a full Japanese person. There are too many fine-personality-weird-respect-rule-society things that I think I will never understand. And I think that definitely comes out in my photos for sure.

Michele:Does that affect your confidence as an artist in Japan?Monika:Yes, it kind of works in a way though, if you use it to your advantage. Because if I was just 100% Japanese and didn’t speak English I would be treated differently. It would be more serious and more would be expected of me. Because I feel like when I’m on a set it’s the equivalent of like a French director trying to speak English. You know what I mean? And I feel like they like that. That’s why they like working with foreigners. You see a lot of photographers that work here that are from England or something.

Michele:You’re kind of in thismiddle ground.Monika:I think in Japan it’s really hard to become a photographer here. Because there’s a whole structured system. I’ve met so many people in Japan who are like, “I want to be a freelance photographer but I have to finish my assistance first before I can start taking my own photos” and it’s like, “Why!?” Don’t you see that in this society they set up rules and it’s like, where do these rules come from?

Michele:I’ve definitely noticed it. How are your recent projects going?Monika:I did this project recently called Working Class Beauty, it was the most recent zine I made for an art book fair, and it’s an ongoing project. Basically I’m shooting my friends, projecting myself. I’m really interested in looking at classism right now. I can relate to it more. Because outside my mom’s house is the Japanese ghetto. And my friend lives in the “gangster town” outside of Tokyo. I started to realize that as an adult I am really sensitive about money. I’ve always not liked how the working class is depicted in normal movies or TV shows. Recently I draw all my inspiration from my hometown. I think it’s such a weird landscape. It’s totally man-made. There are factories everywhere and it’s not an urban city at all. Near my mom’s house there are the projects, the government paid housing in Japan. I’ve always been inspired by movies that show class.

Michele:I really like the title, Working Class Beauty.Monika:I kind of wanted to say working class isn’t a bad word. I’m actually proud to be working class. Because of the experiences I’ve had I feel more grateful for how money is spent. Especially in Tokyo it’s a problem.

Michele: When I first got here I got so anxious because I felt like I would have to spend so much money just to fit in.Monika:I feel like everyone really goes on the trends but it’s not only women, it’s men too. It’s everyone. I feel like I’ve never been that kind of girl. I’ve never spent any money on clothes. Most of the things are free or really cheap.

Michele: Does being a woman affect your work in Japan?Monika:I’ve never worked with a male editor before. It’s weird because I think Japan is definitely changing. But in a Japanese corporate world, there’s still women bringing out tea. I just feel in general in Japan women are forced so much to be a certain way. And people can be very materialistic here. I think that’s why fashion brands do so well here. That’s why there are so many magazines. People buy things here.

Michele: Do you see yourself staying in Japan permanently?Monika:Hmm. I don’t know. I always think about this. Whenever I got to America I feel really culture shocked. I don’t have any interest living in New York for some reason. Maybe for a month but not a long period of time. I really like LA but I can’t drive. I moved to San Diego for 8 months with my boyfriend but I didn’t really have any friends when I was there. I just moved there not knowing anyone or anything. Except for American Apparel. But I feel like now that I know more people it would be fun to live there. But I don’t know. I’m so comfortable here, I don’t have the guts to move.

Michele:Actually what is the difference between New York and Tokyo because I feel like there’s a weird similarity in some ways? They’re both big cities, fast paced.Monika:Yes but I think the people are total opposites. I mean there’s going to be no one performing on the Japanese train. I don’t think I know New York enough but just my experience being there for a week I do see the similarity of being exhausted by all the people but then again in Tokyo, I live in the city, but I stay in my local area. So I feel I am in a big city but also I’m in my little area.

Michele: I’m going to ask you one last but really basic question: what inspires you the most?Monika:Hmm… I don’t know. I guess just always trying to create newer things. I’m never really satisfied. Again it’s like a game. It’s just fun to know that I have all these years ahead of me so I can really develop. I’m not in a rush. Time is really inspiring really. I just like seeing my development, or development in anything.

Michele:I think being inspired by time is a really great thing. I never would of that of that as an answer.Monika:I just thought of it on the spot… Were you scared of the earthquake yesterday??

Michele:Yes!! I was so scared. I was actually in the middle of karaoke.Monika: What did you do? I’m actually afraid because my apartment is super cheap and made out of wood from the 70s and it shakes so much. I’m afraid it’s going to collapse.

Michele:I’m so unprepared. I don’t even know what I would do.Monika: I would be doomed.